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Best Dispersed Camping near Blackfoot, ID

57 Reviews

Several dispersed camping areas exist within a 30-minute drive of Blackfoot, Idaho, primarily on Bureau of Land Management (BLM) lands. Snake River Dispersed, located approximately 10 minutes from Shelley, provides riverfront camping opportunities with drive-in access. Other notable options include Blackrock Canyon Recreation Site, Indian Rocks Dispersed Camping, and McTucker Ponds Park. These primitive sites typically lack developed amenities and are situated on public lands where camping is permitted without reservation or fee collection in most cases.

Many access roads leading to these dispersed sites feature dirt or gravel surfaces with varying conditions. Snake River Dispersed has a dirt road with relatively easy access to wide-open gravel areas, though some riverside spots may require AWD vehicles. Blackrock Canyon has well-maintained dirt roads leading to gravel parking areas, while Indian Rocks features a potholed but generally passable road without requiring 4x4 capability. Most BLM dispersed camping areas enforce a 14-day stay limit. Fires are permitted at several sites including Snake River Dispersed, Indian Rocks, and Blackrock Canyon, though restrictions may apply during dry seasons.

These primitive camping areas offer varying levels of seclusion and natural features. Snake River Dispersed provides riverside camping with good accessibility for larger vehicles. McTucker Ponds Park includes basic amenities such as vault toilets and trash receptacles, though the pond water appears unsuitable for swimming. Blackrock Canyon Recreation Site features rolling hills, a small stream, and hiking trails. Indian Rocks provides mountain views despite some highway noise. A visitor noted that Indian Rocks has "at least ten campsites that were no sweat to get to" while another mentioned that Blackrock Canyon has "a very clean toilet well stocked with toilet paper." Campers should be aware that Pebble Creek Road Pull-Off sites, while close to water, are approximately 50 yards from active train tracks with frequent nighttime traffic.

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Best Dispersed Sites Near Blackfoot, Idaho (14)

    1. Snake River Dispersed

    4 Reviews
    Firth, ID
    15 miles

    "Dirt road with easy access goes to a wide open gravel area but opportunities to be right next to the river with an AWD vehicle."

    "Nice BLM area right next to the Snake River and only 10 minutes from Shelley."

    2. Blackrock Canyon Recreation Site

    8 Reviews
    Inkom, ID
    26 miles
    Website
    +1 (208) 478-6340

    "A short dirt road that’s well maintained leads up to a rock/gravel parking lot. As another reviewer said, the right is for camping, while the left is day use only."

    "Nice spot in a gravel parking lot surrounded by small mountains with toilets nearby. Park on the right as camping is prohibited on the left."

    3. McTucker Ponds Park

    1 Review
    Pocatello, ID
    19 miles

    "There is an outhouse at the entrance - probably a 10-20 minute walk from any site, but nice to have. There were some dumpsters when I was there for garbage too which was nice."

    4. Indian Rocks - Dispersed Camping

    16 Reviews
    McCammon, ID
    38 miles
    Website
    +1 (208) 478-6340

    "GPS correct, no signage and just off highway West. Small 60x40 yard gravel/dirt lot a quarter mile up improved road with some potholes."

    "Close to highway, easy driven dirt road with plenty of flat spots to park. Good for one night while passing through."

    5. Lava Hiking Trailhead

    2 Reviews
    Caribou-Targhee National Forest, ID
    25 miles

    "Stayed at the trailhead parking lot boondocking (No toilets, no water, no electric).  "

    "Nice location away from the highway to spend the night. Dirt road that is a little rough but accessible by low clearance car. Several pull outs to car camp."

    6. Blackrock Canyon

    1 Review
    Inkom, ID
    26 miles

    7. Wolf Flats Recreation Area

    14 Reviews
    Ririe, ID
    46 miles
    Website
    +1 (208) 524-7500

    "Be weary of fire bans"

    "There are extra pull offs by the river before the main area, perfect for car camping!"

    8. Snake River Vista Recreation Site

    10 Reviews
    American Falls, ID
    45 miles
    Website
    +1 (208) 677-6600

    "Great location just a few minutes off the highway with multiple sites."

    "You are in the High Desert of Idaho so this site is amongst sagebrush but has good shade trees also."

    9. pebble road dispersed camping

    1 Review
    McCammon, ID
    34 miles

    10. Pebble Creek Road Pull-Off

    1 Review
    Bancroft, ID
    36 miles
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Recent Free Dispersed Camping Photos near Blackfoot, ID

54 Photos of 14 Blackfoot Campgrounds

Dispersed Camping Reviews near Blackfoot, ID

57 Reviews of 14 Blackfoot Campgrounds

  • Abner H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jul. 17, 2025

    Lava Hiking Trailhead

    Lots of Quiet Space - Some Amenities

    Stayed at the trailhead parking lot boondocking (No toilets, no water, no electric).  Fairly level area with a fire ring, picnic tables under a shelter, metal charcoal grill and easy access to the lava field (Hells Half Acre) hiking trails.    Access from US 20 to the trailhead parking is gravel and easily accessible for all vehicles with several large turnouts that can be camped at.  The rest of the loop past the turn to the trailhead parking is not graveled but still passable by most vehicles.  I would be more hesitant to use the loop in wet weather where the ground may be soft.

    Unfortunately as you can see in a couple of the pictures not everyone cares for our public lands appropriately, there is some garbage left around and someone has taken it upon themselves to use signs and structures for target practice.

    - AT&T has 2 bars of LTE and very slow data with a 243ms ping time and a 10Mbps download once it eventually started 

    - T-Mobile has 3 bars and my hotspot was able to achieve 18.85Mbps download although it too had a long ping time of 292ms

    - Starlink has an unobstructed view of the sky with a 226.6Mbps download speed and 27ms ping

  • jsbeezg The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 21, 2023

    Lava Hiking Trailhead

    Great location for the night

    Nice location away from the highway to spend the night. Dirt road that is a little rough but accessible by low clearance car. Several pull outs to car camp.

  • S
    Jul. 27, 2021

    Indian Rocks - Dispersed Camping

    Decent BLM Boondock

    GPS correct, no signage and just off highway West. Small 60x40 yard gravel/dirt lot a quarter mile up improved road with some potholes. Was traveling late from Idaho to SLC and was a good stopping point. Can hear the highway still but quiet enough and secluded. No amenities whatsoever but there are some weathered petroglyphs to see. As an option there is a formal rest area off the highway a few miles south.

  • Michael The Dyrt PRO User
    Sep. 1, 2024

    Snake River Vista Recreation Site

    Great Spot!

    Great location just a few minutes off the highway with multiple sites. Offers great views of the river and several prebuilt fire rings around the area as well. 4 x 4 recommended to get down to some of the lower spots, but there’s sites up top as well that would be suitable for 2-Wheel drive vehicles. Bring bug spray if you visit in the hotter months

  • LThe Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 15, 2024

    Snake River Vista Recreation Site

    Massive confusion and deep ruts

    I don't know how people are finding the beautiful places they show here. I used the GPS coordinates from here and it led me to a maze of twisted little passages. Very deeply rutted roads challenging me and my 4wd led to a complex of turns and turnarounds. The only road that appeared to lead down to the river was dirt at about 45 degrees. There are many ways to go and I don't know how to could know which to take. Must be dumb luck to find a pretty place by the river.

    So, I left and went to the location that the BLM website gives for this named place. It's not the same place. The official location of this place is farther west. That is poorly identified, too. There's a signed turnoff but down the road there's a "Y". I went right. That led to confusion and nasty flies going into my nose and eyes. I left.

    Looking at the map later it appears that I should have gone LEFT at the "Y" instead of right. I have no idea what that's like.

    Basically, this place has many roads that intersect and go to unknown places. I don't know why there are so many roads, circles, "Y"s, along the river, perpendicular to the river.

    The BLM website isn't helpful. I called them and expected a call back but didn't get it.

    I wouldn't go here without one of the people here who submitted great reviews with beautiful photos. It's not worth the confusing directions (both my Garmin RV GPS and Google Maps were wrong in different places) and ambiguity of destinations.

  • Robin B.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 19, 2023

    Snake River Vista Recreation Site

    Wonderful secluded spot

    This site is right above the snake River so you can hear the water, wonderful way to fall asleep! You are in the High Desert of Idaho so this site is amongst sagebrush but has good shade trees also. When I was there I could start a tent but this ground does tend to get pretty hard during dry season so staking may be a bit more difficult.

    There are actually 2 sites you can pitch a tent or park a vehicle. There is also a firepit. I got really good cell reception. There are fun trails to explore with beautiful scenery. This would also be a great spot if you like to pole fish. You can walk to the river and cast in! This spot os about 8 miles to the American Falls Dam where you can kayak, SUP, fish, and picnic

    The directions were spot on. I recommend a vehicle with relatively high clearance. It os closer to the interstate than you would expect so you can hear vehicles but was super quiet at night

  • Imerie T.The Dyrt PRO User
    Jun. 9, 2025

    Snake River Vista Recreation Site

    4x4 only

    Definitely a 4x4 or high clearance vehicle only now. It’s very rutted and low clearance would drag badly. We loved it though. Nice and quiet and amazing views

  • Erin H.The Dyrt PRO User
    Aug. 5, 2022

    Blackrock Canyon Recreation Site

    New Changes to this area??

    Blackrock Canyon BLM Pocatello, ID 8/4/22 DO NOT trust APP coordinates 42.8145, -112.3307 : Campendium 6/20/22 42.8146,-112.3307 : The Dyrt 6/30/22, 42.8142, -112.3306 : FREE Roam / 2019 These coordinates all lead to a reasonably level, fenced dirt parking lot on the left with a vault toilet and concrete walkway going across the road to a covered picnic/stream area. We were very excited. This is NOT the BLM camping area.... or rather more likely, 'no longer' is? There are 3 new looking signs stating Day Use Only, No Overnight Camping. However there is still a signboard by the toilet with the typical BLM rules/regs & 14 day limit? What's a gal to do? So I called the BLM office listed on the sign to clear up the conflicting sign info. Yep, the aforementioned parking lot is NOT FOR OVERNIGHTCAMPING - again, signs are shiney, no weathering, so this may be a new development? We were told there are 2 BLM camping areas. #1 is ACROSS from the aforementioned parking lot... big DEEPLY graveled area on the right as you come in that steeply slopes down to the picnic table area (our autolevel just laughed at us no matter what we did or where we positioned). #2 is about 1/4m further up where the road loops back on itself, and also has a vault toilet (no concrete walkway). This is a medium parking area inside the loop. Looked doable until we noticed the berm hiding under the grass. At 34' backed in, we'd have either lost the under carriage spare tire, or had our big butt sitting on the ground. So this too was a big nope for us. There is a pullout on the way to the 2nd area, but currently has a 'road closed' sign on it, and another pull out just before the 1st parking area. We could have squeezed into this one, but by this point we were wore out & the thought of all the dust ... just nope. We moved on. This is a GORGEOUS area, if you're a smaller footprint, and can get level. Verizon & ATT both usable but not very strong. Road in is a little washboard and hilly, but doable. I15 underpass ... we're 13'8" on truck & cleared both with no issues. Definitely recommend dropping your rig in the parking lot and scouting out this area 1st.

  • EThe Dyrt ADMIN User
    May. 29, 2025

    Wolf Flats Recreation Area

    Lots of sites directly on the river

    Lots of great options to camp along the river! Quite busy and did have someone join us in our campsite late at night. Road is not bad! Be weary of fire bans

Guide to Blackfoot

Discover the beauty of dispersed camping near Blackfoot, Idaho, where nature meets tranquility. With a variety of spots to choose from, outdoor enthusiasts can find the perfect place to unwind and connect with the great outdoors.

Tips for free and dispersed camping near Blackfoot, Idaho

  • Always check for amenities before heading out; for instance, McTucker Ponds Park offers picnic tables but lacks drinking water and showers.
  • Be prepared for a rustic experience; many areas, like Blackrock Canyon Recreation Site, do not provide trash disposal, so pack out what you bring in.
  • Consider the accessibility of your vehicle; some sites, such as Lava Hiking Trailhead, are suitable for low-clearance cars, while others may require a 4x4.

Dispersed campers should check out Blackrock Canyon

  • This area is known for its stunning views and proximity to hiking trails, making it a great spot for outdoor activities. The Blackrock Canyon Recreation Site features a large gravel parking lot and is close to the highway for easy access.
  • While camping is allowed, be aware of nearby noise from dirt bikes and the highway, which can be heard at night. Many visitors still find it a peaceful place to spend the night.
  • The site has a vault toilet available, but no water or trash services, so plan accordingly.

Scenic spots for dispersed camping near Blackfoot

  • For those seeking a picturesque setting, Wolf Flats Recreation Area offers multiple sites along the river, perfect for fishing and enjoying nature.
  • This area is well-reviewed for its accessibility and variety of camping spots, with some located right by the water, providing a refreshing experience during warmer months.
  • Keep in mind that while the views are beautiful, visitors have noted the presence of litter, so it's essential to practice Leave No Trace principles to keep the area pristine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find free camping in Blackfoot?

The Blackfoot area offers several excellent free dispersed camping options. Indian Rocks - Dispersed Camping is a convenient spot right off the highway with a gravel/dirt lot about a quarter mile up an improved road. It's perfect for overnight stays with multiple flat spots and enough space between campers for privacy, though you may hear some highway noise. For riverside camping, Snake River Vista Recreation Site provides beautiful views and multiple sites just minutes from the highway. Be aware that a 4x4 or high-clearance vehicle is recommended for accessing some of the lower spots near the water, though upper sites are suitable for 2WD vehicles.

Are permits required for dispersed camping in Blackfoot?

No permits are typically required for dispersed camping in the Blackfoot area. Lava Hiking Trailhead and other dispersed sites in the region operate on a first-come, first-served basis without formal registration or permit processes. These areas follow standard Bureau of Land Management (BLM) or Forest Service regulations for dispersed camping, which generally allow stays up to 14 days in a 28-day period. While permits aren't required, it's always good practice to check for temporary fire restrictions, especially during dry summer months. Blackrock Canyon Recreation Site is another option that follows these same no-permit policies for dispersed camping.

What amenities are available at Blackfoot dispersed camping sites?

Amenities at Blackfoot dispersed camping sites are minimal by design. Wolf Flats Recreation Area offers riverside camping but has no formal facilities. Similarly, Snake River Dispersed features a gravel area with opportunities to camp directly next to the river, but without developed amenities. Some sites have user-created fire rings—for example, Snake River Vista has several prebuilt fire rings throughout the area. At Lava Hiking Trailhead, you'll find a picnic shelter with tables and a metal charcoal grill, but no toilets, water, or electrical hookups. Most dispersed sites in the area require self-sufficiency: bring your own water, pack out all trash, and be prepared with portable toilet facilities.

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